How do you say "cigarette" in Japanese?

In Japanese, "cigarette" is タバコ (tabako). It is a noun.

Listen to the pronunciation:

Illustration of cigarette from Noun Town

Pronunciation

タバコ is written in katakana. Romanised as tabako, it sounds roughly like "tah-bah-koh" to an English ear.

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Questions about タバコ

How do you pronounce タバコ?

タバコ is romanised as tabako. Say it roughly like "tah-bah-koh" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is タバコ formal or casual?

タバコ is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is タバコ written in Japanese?

タバコ is written using katakana. Katakana is typically used for words of foreign origin or to give emphasis.

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Japanese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation.